What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

Old Melbourne Gaol, 377 Russell Street, Melbourne (2026)

Old Melbourne Gaol
Open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am to 5pm
Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday.

30/08/2026

Have you ever wondered why death masks were made from hanged prisoners? 💀

Could the shape of your skull reveal your character, or even whether you were prone to criminal behaviour?

In the 1800s, some people believed it could.

Known as phrenology, this now-discredited theory claimed that the shape and contours of the skull could reveal a person’s character and personality. The skull was divided into different sections, each supposedly linked to a particular trait, from intelligence and self-esteem to “destructiveness”.

Death masks and plaster casts of executed prisoners were used in attempts to study these supposed characteristics. One of the most famous examples is Ned Kelly, whose death mask was made shortly after his ex*****on at Melbourne Gaol in 1880.

But what did people actually believe they could learn from the shape of a prisoner’s head?

Hear from Historian and Curator Lizzie Anya-Petrivna as she explores the fascinating, and thoroughly debunked, world of death masks and phrenology at Old Melbourne Gaol.

Want to uncover more stories of crime, punishment and criminology? Explore the gaol on an audio tour included with your ticket, or join one of our guided tours and experiences, including Hangman’s Night Tour, Ghosts! What Ghosts?, Ned Kelly’s Last Stand and Life in the City Watch House.

School groups can also step inside the gaol and discover its history through our school excursions and education programs.

📍 Old Melbourne Gaol, 377 Russell St, Melbourne
🗓️ Open daily, 10am–5pm

🆓 Free general admission for National Trust members

🎟️ Tickets via the link in bio, including our special $30 general admission offer for under 30s daily.

Share this with someone fascinated by true crime, history, Ned Kelly or Melbourne’s darker past.

21/08/2026

The trial of Frederick Bailey Deeming caused a sensation in Melbourne in April 1892. His crimes were so shocking that some seriously considered him to be Jack the Ripper. He became Victoria’s most notorious 19th century criminal after Ned Kelly.

Deeming made several voyages between England, Australia, South Africa and South America. His first wife, Marie, and their children, born throughout the 1880s, accompanied him for some of the time. Deeming and his second wife, Emily Mather, arrived in Melbourne from England in 1891, and he rented a cottage in Windsor under the name Mr Drewin. He also purchased cement, tools and a pan from an ironmonger.

In March 1892, the owner of the house, John Stamford, was showing a prospective client through when he noticed a “disagreeable smell”. Police were summoned, and Emily’s body was discovered buried beneath the hearthstone, encased in cement.

Further investigation led Victorian police to contact English police, where another murder was revealed. At Deeming’s former home near Liverpool, the bodies of his first wife, Marie, and their four children were found buried beneath the hearthstone.

Deeming was arrested in Western Australia in March 1892 while masquerading as the dashing Baron Swanston and apparently on the point of marrying an unsuspecting Kate Rounsefell.

He was defended by future Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, who presented a defence of insanity. The jury rejected the defence, and Deeming was hanged on 23 May 1892.

Today, you can explore the story of Deeming and the darker chapters of Melbourne’s history at Old Melbourne Gaol.

📍 Old Melbourne Gaol
🗓️ Open 7 days, 10am–5pm
🎧 Audio tour included with general admission
🆓 National Trust members receive free general admission
🎟️ Special offer - Under 30s get $30 entry. All tickets types available via link in bio or on entry to the Gaol 🌙 Add to your experience with a Hangman’s Night Tour on select nights.

Know someone fascinated by true crime and Melbourne’s dark past? Share this with them and plan your visit to Old Melbourne Gaol!

14/08/2026

Ever wondered what it was like to be behind bars in one of Melbourne’s most historic prisons?

Step inside Old Melbourne Gaol, which has stood in the heart of Melbourne since 1845. Between 1842 and its closure in 1929, the Gaol was the scene of 133 hangings, including that of Australia’s most infamous outlaw, Ned Kelly. Today, you can explore the original cells and discover what life was like for the men, women and children who were imprisoned here.

Then take your visit one step further with the Life in the City Watch House experience.

With a ‘Charge Sergeant’ as your guide, you’ll be ‘arrested’, processed and confined inside the former City Watch House, which operated from 1909 until 1994 as Melbourne’s central custody centre for people arrested and awaiting their court date.

It’s an interactive experience where you’ll get to see inside the cells and former exercise yards, and find out what it was like to be locked up in a real police lock-up.

📍 Old Melbourne Gaol, 377 Russell Street, Melbourne
🗓️ Daily 10am-5pm

🎟️ General admission tickets available online or on arrival
🔐 Life in the City Watch House: $5 with any General Admission Ticket, including National Trust Member Tickets
🆓 National Trust members receive free General Admission

Come behind the doors and discover the stories for yourself. Share with someone who’d be brave enough to get ‘arrested’!

10/08/2026

Could the shape of your skull reveal whether you were destined to become a criminal? 💀

In the 1800s, some believed it could.

Known as phrenology, this now-discredited theory claimed that the shape and contours of the skull could reveal a person’s character and personality. The skull was divided into different sections, each supposedly linked to a particular trait, from intelligence and self-esteem to “destructiveness”.

Death masks and plaster casts of executed prisoners were used in attempts to study these supposed characteristics. One of the most famous examples is Ned Kelly, whose death mask was made shortly after his ex*****on at Melbourne Gaol in 1880.

But what did people actually believe they could learn from the shape of a prisoner’s head?

Hear from Historian and Curator Lizzie Anya-Petrivna as she explores the fascinating, and now thoroughly debunked, world of death masks and phrenology at Old Melbourne Gaol.

Want to uncover more stories of crime, punishment and criminology? Explore the gaol on an audio tour included with your ticket, or join one of our guided tours and experiences, including Hangman’s Night Tour, Ghosts! What Ghosts?, Ned Kelly’s Last Stand and Life in the City Watch House.

School groups can also step inside the gaol and discover its history through our school excursions and education programs.

📍 Old Melbourne Gaol, 377 Russell St, Melbourne
🗓️ Open daily, 10am–5pm

🆓 Free general admission for National Trust of Australia (Victoria) members

🎟️ Tickets via the link in bio, including our special $30 general admission offer for under-30s on weekdays.

Share this with someone fascinated by true crime, history, Ned Kelly or Melbourne’s darker past.

03/08/2026

Love the Billie B Brown books? Meet best-selling children's author and outgoing Australian Children's Laureate Sally Rippin and New Zealand–Japanese illustrator Aki Fukuoka as they celebrate their newest release, Billie B Brown's Secret Mystery Club: Spooky House – a graphic novel adaptation of the much-loved Billie B Mysteries.

Meet Sally and Aki, have your books signed, and discover the brand-new Secret Mystery Club series. Then step into the adventure at Old Melbourne Gaol, where young detectives can help Billie B and her friends solve one of their trickiest cases yet – the hunt for a long-lost treasure hidden somewhere inside the historic gaol.

Copies of the Billie B Brown books, including the new Secret Mystery Club graphic novel, will be available to purchase from the Old Melbourne Gaol Shop.

🗓️ Saturday 8 August | 10.00am–12.00pm
🎟️ Tickets at https://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/event/billie-b-browns-secret-mystery-club-spooky-house-the-graphic-novel-by-sally-rippin-and-aki-fukuoka/
📍Old Melbourne Gaol, 377 Russell St, Melbourne

In partnership with Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing.

01/08/2026

Are you fascinated by Melbourne’s dark past, from crime and punishment to the supernatural… and brave enough to experience it for yourself? 👀

When the sun goes down, the Old Melbourne Gaol reveals a very different side of its history. Join the Hangman’s Night Tour or Ghosts? What Ghosts? Night Tour and uncover decades of unexplained sights, strange sounds and chilling encounters within the historic bluestone walls.

Led by experienced guides with an intimate knowledge of the gaol’s darker past, these immersive tours explore eerie stories that have lingered long after the cells fell silent. Not for the faint-hearted.

🗓 Weekly on select nights
🔞 Ages 16+ (due to graphic content)

Have you experienced an Old Melbourne Gaol night tour? Tell us which one, or tag someone who’d love to explore Melbourne’s darker history with you.

🎟️ Book via the link in our comments before tickets sell out.

Address

377 Russell Street
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Website

http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/

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